Feed leveler



July 21,1953 M. L. SMALLEGAN FEED LEVEL-BR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1950 IIL I 1mm. 5 n9 n wf mm 1 L M July 21, 1953 Filed April 15, 1950 M. L. SMALLEGAN FEED LEVELER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i -I r I:

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l' 233 III 6 24 lu /nvenfor' MarvmLSmd/legan Affornqys by'gravity into a feed trough.

Patented July 21, 1953 ED PAT T) OF 7 "#546,024 1 q VEL' R j l ,7 Marvin L. Smalle'gan, Zeelan'd,'Mich., assignor to Automatic Poultry Feeder Company, Zeeland; Mich,acorporation of Michigan I y 1- l a Applicationilpril 15, 1950, serial'ivofjisa o v 1 The present invention relates to feedlevelers and more particularly to a device forleveling poultry feed at the top of a drum within-which it has been placed and from which the feed falls The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide a device of the general character.

above indicated which maintains the poultry feed at an upper level while the feed therein falls by gravity therefrom into a poultry feed trough; to provide such a device which is highly efficient in its intended use; to provide such a device which is relatively simple in construction; and, to provide such a device which is reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a poultry feed trough in which feed fed thereto from a feed drum is conveyed by an endless belt conveyor but which feed in the drum is maintained at a level while being fed therefrom into the feed trough;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the feed drum and the feed leveler on line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary and central vertical sectional view of the feed drum and feed leveler on line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring then to the drawings wherein like parts of the structure shown are designated by the same numerals in the several views, a rectangular poultry feed trough supported above the floor by spaced legs H is adapted to receive feed I2 from a drum l3 and be circulated in the trough by an endless belt conveyor such as the sprocket chain Hi- (Fig. 4) whereby poultry standing about the trough may be fed when the feeder is in operation.

The drum I3 is provided with a rectangular opening [5 in its floor immediately above the feed trough it which opening may be manually adjustably opened by a slidably mounted gate l6 2Claims. (ours-52') f thereto through the opening I 5 in the floor of the v, squared tubular member I! embraces the rotatable shaftjlil, i9; for a considerable portion of "itslength"and'a'V shaped vane 22 issecured thereto at its lower end adjacent the floor of the drum for agitating the feed. A squared collar 23 vertically slidable on the member I! above the vane 22 is provided on its opposite sides with a pair of transversely disposed sleeves 24.

A rod 25 is inserted and secured Within each sleeve 24 in any suitable manner as by a set screw 26 and each rod is provided with a plurality of spaced angularly disposed disc vanes 21, 28, the disc vanes 21 being in staggered relation to the disc vanes 28, all as best viewed in Figures 2 and 3. A finger 30 (Fig. 4) has its shank projecting between the spaced inner walls of the split sprocket wheel 2| to free it of feed that may clog and foul its rotation.

Operation vTo fill the drum I3 with feed [2, the operator lifts the squared collar 23 on the squared tubular member ll to the top of the shaft l8, l9 and turns it slightly to permit it to rest on the upper end of the member 11. After the drum has been filled, the collar 23 is rotated to permit it to again slide on the member I! thus allowing the rods 25 and their respective disc vanes 21, 28 to rest on the top of the feed as best shown in Figure 3.

When the motor 20 is started and the gate 16 has been opened to the desired extent, the sprocket chain l4 will thus be caused to be traveled in the feed trough ill thus circulating the feed [2 therein and throughout its length and the disc vanes 21, 2B in their rotation will maintain the feed at a level in the upper end of the drum.

It will thus be seen that the feed leveler herein shown and described maintains the feed at an upper level while the feed therein falls by gravity therefrom into a poultry feed trough, that the device is highly efficient in its intended use, is relatively simple in construction, and is reasonably economical in manufacture.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a dispenser for dry, divided materials having a trough and a chain movable along said 3 trough, a cylindrical hopper above said trough, the combination comprising: a vertical shaft extending through said trough and said hopper concentrically of said hopper; a sprocket on the lower end of said shaft adapted to engage said chain; a pair of rods mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, said rods being slidable axially of said shaft; means for preventing rotation of said rods relative to said shaft; a plurality of spaced discs mounted on each of said rods, each of said discs being parallel and im clined in a horizontal plane to said rods, and of substantially greater diameter than said rods; an opening in said hopper adjacent said shaft and providing a passageway betweensaid hopper and said trough; a pair of arms mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith within said hopper and adjacent said opening; means for rotating said shaft in the direction of the radially outwardly extending edges of said discs.

2. In a dispenser for dry, divided materials having a trough, a cylindrical hopper above said trough, the combination comprising: a vertical shaft extending through said trough and said hopper concentrically of said hopper; a pair of 4: rods mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, said rods being slidable axially of said shaft; means for preventing rotation of said rods relative to said shaft; a plurality of spaced discs mounted on each of said rods, each of said discs being parallel and inclined in a horizontal plane to said rods and of substantially greater diameter than said rods; an opening in said hopper adjacent said shaft and providing a passageway between said hopper and said trough; a pair of arms mounted on said shaft for rotation there- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 512,906 Root Jan. 16, 1894 592,774 Frazier Nov. 2, 1897 670,581 Erisman Mar. 26, 1901 Erisman Mar. 26, 1901 

